Benrinnes 1995/2015 Signatory 19 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 52,9%

One cask, full strength, no filtration and no colouring. Signatory does nothing to the whisky beyond moving it from cask to bottle, and with a spirit like Benrinnes that is the most honest way to meet the place.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 1995/2015 Signatory Vintage 19 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in a hogshead, cask no. 5895, and bottled at 52.9 % cask strength without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky went into cask on 6 June 1995 and was drawn on 9 April 2015 after nineteen years. The cask yielded 291 bottles, and the 52.9 per cent is the natural cask strength with no water added.

Benrinnes is known for a heavy, almost meaty spirit with a light sulphur edge, coming from worm tub condensers and from the old system of three stills in series. Nineteen years in a hogshead is enough to round the edges without removing the character.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry malt, walnut and apple peel with a light mineral edge.

Palate

Powerful and dry with cereal, spiced oak and a meaty middle. The cask strength gives bite without burning.

Finish

Long and dry with nut, pepper and a last malty warmth.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 1995/2015 Signatory Vintage 19 år
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 19 years
ABV: 52,9 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead, cask no. 5895
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 6 June 1995
Bottled: 9 April 2015
Number of bottles: 291
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Dry · Malty · Nutty · Spiced

Investment potential

High. Nineteen year old Benrinnes from a single cask in 291 bottles cannot be recreated, and spirit predating the 2007 rebuild of the distillery is sought after by those who know the old house style.

Did you know?

Benrinnes used worm tubs, long coiled copper pipes in cold water vats, instead of modern shell and tube condensers. The method gives less copper contact and therefore a heavier spirit with more meat and sulphur.

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Frequently asked questions about Benrinnes 1995/2015 Signatory Vintage 19 år

What does cask strength mean here?

That the whisky is bottled at exactly the strength it held in the cask after nineteen years, with no water added. Here that is 52.9 per cent.

Why is Benrinnes so different from other Speyside malts?

Because of worm tub condensers and an old system of three stills in series. The combination gives a heavy, meaty spirit where the regional standard is otherwise light and floral.

Is it a single cask?

Yes, cask number 5895. It gave 291 bottles, and no more will be made.

What happened at the distillery in 2007?

The old system of three stills in series was converted to ordinary double distillation. Spirit from before that change has a different character and grows steadily rarer.

Should you add water?

Try it neat in a whisky glass first and then add a couple of drops. At this strength a little water can clearly loosen the cereal and the spice.

Does it suit a beginner?

No, not as a first single malt. Both the strength and the meaty character ask that you know what you are getting into.